After the victory of the Rassemblement National (RN) in the first round of the legislative elections in Francesome rappers from across the Alps have decided to take a stand against the far-right party of Marine Le Pen and her candidate Jordan Bardella. This initiative took the form of an online video entitled “No Pasarán”, a slogan taken directly from anti-fascist republicans during the Spanish Civil War.
A collaboration between 21 artists
The collaboration was born from an idea by DJ Kore, alias Djamel Fezari, one of the most important producers of the French rap scene with the support of designer and friend Ramdane Touhami, and brings together 21 artists young and old (including Pit Baccardi), famous and lesser-known. There are leaders of the flourishing Francophone rap market such as Fianso, Soso Maness, Mac Tyer, Demi Portion and rising stars of the new generation such as Zola, Kerchak or RKtra and also Zed, Maness, Uzi, Alkpote. The proceeds of the project, explain the authors, will be donated to the Abbé Pierre Foundation.
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A tough and rebellious video
The video’s style is direct and harsh, with lyrics that often border on insults. The images and rhetorical figures range from mixed martial arts (MMA) to sometimes misogynistic or conspiratorial comments, involving topics such as Freemasonry and Israel. Surprisingly, many of the artists involved declare that they have little knowledge of politics and have not voted up to this point. “Taking part in this piece was very important for me, because I grew up with the legacy of a sharp and committed French rap, which inspired me a lot. I belong to the generation where rap does not dissociate itself from the message,” the video’s producer Fianso told the French media. Like many of his colleagues, the artist had already released songs against racism, discrimination and even against Marine Le Pen and the Front National, now Rassemblement.
